Tilt window assembly with balance guides



7 Aug- 1 1969 w. o. JOHN-SON 3,

TILT wmnow ASSEMBLY WITH BALANCE GUIDES Filed Nov. 20, 1967 Q wQQQQ 2Sheets-Sheet l INVE'NTOR. WALDO O.JOHNSON /A ATTORNEYS.

g- 1969 w. o. JOHNSON TILT WlNUOW ASSEMBLY WITH BALANCE (EU [DES 2Shcets-3heet 2 Filed Nov. 20, 1967 N m may WWW ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,461,608 TILT WINDOW ASSEMBLY WITH BALANCE GUIDESWaldo 0. Johnson, Wooster, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, toGeorgia-Pacific Corporation, Portland, Oreg., a corporation of GeorgiaFiled Nov. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 684,232 Int. Cl. Ed 15/22 US. Cl. 49-161 8Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSiURE The novel window assembly of theinvention includes a pair of vertically extending jamb liners and anupper and a lower sash slidably operably engaging the jamb liners. Abalance guide of substantially the length of each of the sashes engageseach vertical rail of the sashes and extends laterally outwardlytherefrom to engage the jamb liners, and slide spring means are operablycarried by the balance guides and engage the jamb liners for resilientlysupporting the sashes. The assembly normally includes pivotal means thatsecure the balance guides to the sashes adjacent the lower ends thereofand the jamb liners are laterally inwardly offset in the portionsthereof engaging the upper sash to facilitate inward tilting of thewindow sashes.

This invention relates to window sash assemblies and particularly tonovel and improved means for slidably mounting window sashes in windowassemblies, especially where window sashes are to tilt inwardly of abuilding structure.

Heretofore there have been many different types of sash positioningmeans provided, and in various types of prior window assemblies,including tilt windows, it has been conventional practice to provide ajamb liner that is resiliently urged laterally inwardly in the windowassembly for engaging the window sashes to operatively position thesame. In these prior constructions, insofar as I am aware, the side jambliner has been adapted to receive only windows of equal sizes thereinand it is diflicult to tilt windows in assemblies of this type inwardlyfor cleaning action, repair, or for other purposes.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved window assembly wherein a balance guide engages each verticalrail of slidably positioned Window sashes and novel slide spring meansare carried by the balance guides and engage the jamb liners in whichthis sash is positioned to urge such balance guides laterally inwardlyfor resilient engagement with a positioned window sash.

Other objects of the invention are to use leaf springs as the slidespring means in slidably positioned windows; to have leaf springsposition window sashes and extend generally vertically of the sashes; toprovide novel balance guides secured to a window sash for movementtherewith to aid in positioning them for slide and/or tilt action; tosecure balance guides to window sashes by pivotal means at the loweredges of the window sashes to facilitate tilting the sashes inwardly; tooffset a jamb liner in a window assembly laterally inwardly in theportions thereof that engage the upper sash of a pair of double hungwindow sashes; to provide a laterally inwardly extending parting stripportion in a unitary window jamb liner; to utilize balance guidesattached to window sashes for engaging a parting strip means in a jambliner for window sash positioning; to position leaf spring means inwindow sash assemblies by special plastic block means carried by thewindow sashes or means operatively positioned thereon; to providespecial plastic closure means in double hung window assemblies utilizingbalance guides therein carried by the sashes to close or sea] thevertical space provided between the balance guide and associated jambliner; and to provide a special closure or seal means in a double hungwindow assembly of the tilt type and wherein the upper window sash islaterally narrower than the lower window sash and which seal means areoperatively positioned at the parting line zone of the jamb liner formedby the top rail of the lower sash and the bottom rail of the upper sashto seal the space therebetween.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will bemade more apparent as the specification proceeds.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged, partially broken away, horizontal section of awindow assembly embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. .2 is a vertical section, with portions broken away and removed, ofthe window assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation detail of the window sash positioning meansshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the upper end of the window sashpositioning, or balance guide means shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation detail of a jamb liner means embodyinga feature of the present invention.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawings andreferred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used tofacilitate comparison therebetween.

Attention now is particularly directed to the details of the structureshown in the accompanying drawings, and a window assembly is indicatedas a whole by the numeral 10. This window assembly 10 includes a lowersash 11 and an upper sash 12 which are slidably double hung in abuilding 13. Thiswindow assembly 10 includes window jambs which includemetallic, contoured outer sections 14 which have channeled foot portions15 which engage, as by a slidably interlocked joint, with window jambs16, usually made from wood or equivalent material. A jamb filler strip17 is also shown associated with the outer portion of the jambs 16 tocompensate for a reduction in width of the upper sash 12 in thisparticular window assembly. For purposes to be described hereinafter inmore detail, the upper sash 12 is narrower in a lateral width than thelower sash 11 to facilitate tilting the windows inwardly of the windowassembly for cleaning or repair purposes, as desired.

Such window jamb outer section 14 may also include an attachment foot orextension 18' that is of a substantial conventional design and isadapted to bear against the building 13 to be secured thereto in aconventional manner. However, at the same time, the particularconstruction of the window jamb of the window assembly is such that itprevents heat flow from the outside of the building 13 to the insidethereof and substantially eliminates sweating or heat flow through thewindow jamb.

One important feature of the present invention is that a balance guide,or slide rail 19 is operably associated with and suitably attached toeach of the vertically extending window sash rails 11a and 11b, and 12mand 12b of the lower and upper sashes, respectively, and protrudelaterally outwardly therefrom. These balance guides may be of anysuitable construction, and preferably are of substantially channel-shapein horizontal section with the open end of the channel facing laterallyoutwardly of the window sash. The balance guides can be formed fromextruded vinyl resin plastic material, for example, or it may be madefrom other known materials. Usually, the

balance guides 19 are removably interlocked with the sash rails withwhich they are associated by means of a laterally inwardly protrudingbase rib 20 formed on each balance guide which is received in agenerally complementary contoured recess 21 formed in the laterallyouter surface or edge of each of the sash rails 11a, 11b, 12a and 12b.The balance guides 19 are slidably interlocked with individual receptive.portions of the jamb liners 22, one of which is operatively associatedwith each of the window jambs and suitably secured thereto. Each ofthese jamb liners 22 is shown as provided with an upper sash receivingsection 23 and a lower sash receiving section 24 and each of thesesections 23 and 24 is of generally channel shape in horizontal sectionand they are connected by a parting strip or blind stop 25 that usuallyis formed as a unit with the remaining sections of the jamb liners.These jamb liners can be made from extruded plastic material or othersuitable means, as desired, and the use of a relatively hard vinyl resinjamb liner is preferred in the practice of the invention. These balanceguides 19 preferably extend substantially the length (height) of each ofthe sashes to which they are secured, and the balance guides 19 aresecured to the window sash with which they are operatively assembled bysuitable means, for example, such as metal pins or studs 26 that extendthrough suitable apertures in the balance guides 19 and are secured tolower portions or the lower rails in the window sashes whereby thewindow sashes can be pivoted or swung inwardly, normally, of the windowassembly with relation to the balance guides because of their releasablepressure engagement with such guides. These balance guides are retainedin slidable, interlocked connection with the jamb liners by pairs ofopposed ledges or shelves 27 and 28 provided in the upper window section23 and by similar shelves 29 and 30 normally formed as a unit with thelower sash engaging section 24 of the jamb liner. These shelves 27through 30 engage with opposed outwardly facing, inwardly offset, shortchannel members or sections 31 and 32 formed on the laterally outermarginal edges of each of the balance guides 19 whereby one of theshelves is received between or in the channel sections 31 and 32 toretain the jamb liner in operative slidable engagement with the balanceguides at all times.

Yet another feature of the present invention is that each of the balanceguides 19 preferably positions a plurality of slidable spring means,such as leaf springs 33 therein. These leaf springs 33 are so carried bythe balance guides 19 as to resiliently engage with the associated jambliner 22 and urge the window sash with which such springs are associatedlaterally inwardly of the window assembly at all times for slidable butrelatively tight engagement with associated portions of the windowassembly 10.

Further details of the leaf springs 33 and the means used to secure themin the individual balance guides are best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and of thedrawings. Preferably these balance guides 19 are of generally channelshape in section, but they include the pair of opposed inwardlyextending offset sections 31 and 32 therein. A molded or preformed nylonor other plastic block means 36 is formed of such shape as to betelescopically engageable with each of the offset sections 31 and 32 ofthe balance guides 19, and in general, such plastic blocks 36 are shapedto the internal contour of the balance guides 19. Normally, a pair ofplastic blocks 36 are engaged with opposed end portions of each of thebalance guides 19 and are suitably secured thereto in any desiredmanner, as by pins, screw means, or offset parts of the material formingthe balance guides 19 extending into recesses provided in the plasticblocks whereby they are fixedly associated with relation to theircarrier balance guides. These plastic blocks 36 preferably are providedwith suitable recesses 37 therein which recesses or apertures aredesigned to receive end portions of the leaf springs 33 therein and withthe leaf springs then being retained in the recesses 37 by any suitablemeans, such as epoxy adhesive means 38 which set up to a relatively hardbinder mass. In general, the leaf springs 33 extend in a verticaldirection, and a pair of the leaf springs are shown associated with eachof the plastic blocks 36 and are so shaped as to extend in a gradualcurve to lie laterally offset from the balance guides and be protrudinglaterally outwardly therefrom whereby the leaf springs must beresiliently deflected when a balance guide 19 is slidably engaged withits associated jamb liner 22 to compress the leaf spring and provide aresilient, flexible mount for sliding action of the window sashes in thewindow assembly.

In order to provide a sealing member or means to prevent air flowthrough the window assembly 10 in the space provided between the balanceguides 19 and jamb liners 22, a flexible sealing strip 39 is suitablysecured to each of the plastic blocks 36. These sealing strips 39 lie ina plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the balanceguide with which it is associated and such sealing strip is of such alength as to engage, resiliently, the associated laterally inner face ofits positioning liner 22. Hence, the air space in the window assembly atthe laterally outer margins of the window sashes are closed so that aircannot flow vertically of the window assembly.

Another feature of the invention resides in a sealing or insulationmeans 50 positioned on the jamb liner 22 and extending inwardlytherefrom. FIG. 6 shows such sealing means 50 that includes a pluralityof fibrous strips 51 the base portions of which are secured to a carrierplate 52. The carrier plate 52 is suitably secured to the jamb liner atthe meeting zone of the sashes 11 and 12 when in closed position. FIG. 1indicates that such sealing means closes the space between adjacenthorizontal rails of the sashes, which space results from the differentwidths of the upper and lower sashes.

Conventional balances 40 are suitably positioned in the windowassemblies and are operatively attached to the sashes 11 and 12 to aidin the sliding movement thereof in a conventional manner. The balances40 have portions positioned within the balance guides 19 and attachedthereto.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that a novel, effective andimproved sliding and pivotal window assembly has been provided by theinvention.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particularembodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an assembly of a sash slidably positioned in a window jamb,including a pair of vertically extending jamb liners, and an upper and alower sash slidably operably engaging said jamb liners, the combinationwhich is characterized by a balance guide of substantially the length ofsaid sashes engaging each vertical rail of said sashes and extendinglaterally outwardly therefrom to engage said jamb liners,

slide leaf spring means operably carried by said balance guides andengaging said jamb liners,

one end of each of said leaf spring means being operatively attached toa said balance guide and the other ends of which resiliently andslidably bear on said jamb liner, said leaf springs extending generallyvertically of said sashes,

said sash balance guides being of laterally outwardly open channel shapein horizontal section,

plastic block means secured to said sash balance guides at spacedportions thereof, and

said leaf springs being attached to said plastic block means.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein flexible plastic sealingstrips are operatively carried by said balance guides and each striplies in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of its saidbalance guide, said sealing strips resiliently engaging a said jambliner.

3. The combination as in claim 1 wherein each said plastic block meansis contoured complementary to the inner contour of said balance guides,and has recesses therein for receiving an end of a said leaf spring.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein pivotal means securesaid balance guides to said sashes adjacent the lower edges thereof toenable said sashes to be tilted inwardly, and

said jamb liners are laterally inwardly offset in the portions thereofengaging said upper sash in relation to the portions of said jamb linersengaging said lower sash.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said jamb liners havesealing means secured thereto and extending laterally inwardly therefromat the meeting area of said top and bottom sashes to close the spacetherebetween.

6. In an assembly of a sash slidably positioned in a window jamb,including a pair of vertically extending jamb liners, and an upper and alower sash slidably operably engaging said jamb liners, the combinationof a balance guide of substantially the length of said sashes engagingeach vertical rail of said sashes and extending laterally outwardlytherefrom to engage said jamb liners,

balance means operatively engaging said sashes and having portionspositioned within said balance guides,

leaf showing means operably carried by said balance guides and engagingsaid jamb liners,

pivotal means securing said balance guides to said sashes adjacent thelower edges thereof to secure said balance guides thereto for movementtherewith and to enable said sashes to be tilted inwardly at any partlyopen position of said sashes, and

said jarnb liners being laterally inwardly offset in the portionsthereof engaging said upper sash in relation to the portions thereofengaging said lower sash.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said jamb liners havelaterally inwardly extending parting strip portions therein, and saidlower sash engages said parting strip portions to limit inward pivotalmovement thereof.

8. The combination according to claim 6 wherein said sash balance guidesare of laterally outwardly open channel shape in horizontal section,

plastic block means are secured to said sash balance guides at spacedportions thereof, and

said leaf spring means are attached to said plastic block means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,288,732 12/1918 Starck 49--l721,896,023 1/1933 Tresouthick 49172 1,896,559 2/1933 Ruchin 49-172 X2,500,849 3/1950 Menns 4 9-181 2,752,642 7/1956 Starck et al. 4918l3,105,576 10/ 1963 Jones et al. 49-472 3,135,014 6/1964 Martin 49l8l X3,349,518 10/1967 Johnson 49-181 X DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 49-174, 414

mg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,461,608 Dated August 9, 9 9

Inventofle) Waldo hnson It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

Column 5, line 34, "showing" should be spring SIGNED AND SEALED .Attest:

Edward M. match, In wmlm E. acuum, Altesting Qfficer comissioner Patents

